1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system which executes a sheet process using a sheet process apparatus, a method for controlling the print system, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, processes of a plurality of finishers are performed in parallel to improve productivity. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-121909, a plurality of sheet process apparatuses having a sheet process function are provided and parallel execution of a plurality of jobs by sharing at least one of the sheet process apparatuses has been proposed.
In recent years, a sheet process system in which a DFD (Document Finishing Device) finisher of a maker different from a maker of an image forming apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus so that various types of finishing are performed has been strongly demanded.
However, in some sheet process systems including a DFD finisher, a sheet may not be conveyed to the finisher during a finishing process performed by the finisher. In a DFD finisher for a ring binder, for example, a sheet may not be conveyed to the ring binder while rings are attached to a bundle of sheets. Accordingly, in a case where the DFD finisher is connected to the image forming apparatus, an interval between sheets becomes large while a sheet may not be conveyed to the finisher, and accordingly, productivity is degraded.
Here, in a case where a sheet discharge destination is automatically changed for every bundle, if a waiting time between bundles is longer than a processing time for processing a bundle, the DFD finisher may not process a sheet since the DFD finisher is in process, which is a problem.
Furthermore, the DFD finisher and the image forming apparatus are sparsely connected to each other (connection in a state in which the number of acceptable commands shared with each other is small). Therefore, unlike a case where an image forming apparatus and a finisher are made by the same maker, it is difficult for a controller of the image forming apparatus to control a finishing process in detail and perform a parallel process.
As another method, an operator determines whether tandem control is to be performed and generates a job for changing a sheet discharge destination for every bundle in advance before the job is input. However, when this method is employed, a work load is heavy and work efficiency of the operator is deteriorated.